She sat near the window, relishing the warmth of the sun. Even though she hadn’t said a word, Omar was positively sure she knew he’d been standing behind her near the door just staring silently. She just chose to ignore his presence, like she’s been doing for the past few weeks.

“Zoe, I know you blame me for everything that happened. I don’t know what to do to make it better. What can I do for you to forgive me?” Omar asked.

“I was angry when I said those things… I lost my faith for a while but now, I see things differently, and I wish you could too.”

“I do…!”

“No Omar, you don’t. What happened made you angrier at Allah and more confused. There’s a war raging inside you. You’re asking me to forgive you but you know what you really need? You need to forgive yourself first,” Zahra said softly.

Omar turned around and covered his face with his hands. And even though Zahra couldn’t see the tears streaming down his cheeks, she knew her words touched his heart.

“If you really love me, Omar, help yourself,” she said. “You’ll find the card on the table. Please go see this therapist. That’s all I’m asking.”

“Are you angry at Allah ?” I asked Omar.

“I am,” he replied. “And I know it hurts Zoe more than anything she’s been through. She’s probably scared I might go to hell.”

“Well, no one other than Allah knows who is going where,” I said calmly.

“Exactly! Thank you! You just made my point for me. Why create us if He already knows who is going to Paradise and who is going to Hellfire? Isn’t this a form of sadism? Why give me a functioning, logical brain and then torment me for using it to question the unseen? I really want to know!” Omar asked.

“What do you think would have been a better scenario?”

“An obedient creation that doesn’t analyze or go against His will. A creation that worships Him alone and isn’t put through the test of a lifelong search for the truth that might easily end with eternal torture!” Oman snapped.

“He already created this type: The angels,” I replied. “They do what they’re told, worship Him day and night and have no willpower. And then Allah created humans, and gave them the choice to believe or not, making them superior to the flawless, sinless angels.”

“So you’re saying in the test of life, everyone has a fair chance?”

“Depends on how you look at it. When medical students, for example, sit for their exams, don’t they all have a fair chance to pass or fail?” I asked. “Or do you think fairness necessitates they all become doctors whether they’ve earned it or not?”

“No of course not. But students have textbooks to study from and plenty of time to learn and practice,” Omar barked.

“And so do we. The original scriptures of Torah, Gospel, Psalms, and the Qur’an were sent to humankind as guidance. This is why belief in thebooks is the third pillar of faith; because Allah is fair. He would never test humans without revealing the truth clearly first.”

Omar pondered silently, trying to open his mind to the other side of the argument.

“You see, elite colleges and universities expect straight A’s. They expect a lifetime of dedication and perfection. If a doctor, a lawyer or a judge, for example, makes a big mistake they might lose their license, and their careers and reputations would be ruined for life. But Allah is Merciful and Kind, He doesn’t expect perfection. He expects progress, good intentions and for us to purify our hearts. He expects us to seek the truth, learn from our mistakes, help each other and worship Him alone. And once you read the Qur’an with the humility of a student, and not with the scrutiny of a doubtful critic, the truth will manifest as clear as the shining bright sun.”

“I read it, yet sometimes I’m appalled and confused by all the harsh rules and warnings. Why does Allah have to remind us of His punishment? Why can’t His words all be about good rewards and about spreading love and peace?” Omar asked.

“Do you stop at red lights? Even if no one is looking?” I smiled.

“Umm… yes.”

“Why? Is it because the police give out bouquets of red roses to those who do?”

“No,” Omar laughed, “because I’ll get a ticket if I don’t.”

“But why are there laws and penalties and jails? Why can’t the government give us all a nice pep talk about the glory of peace and harmony and then leave us to our own devices?”

“That’s absurd. You can’t keep order without strict laws.” Omar paused and smiled knowingly. “Okay, I get it now.”

“Just because Allah is Compassionate and Merciful, doesn’t mean He won’t be Just and Fair. Without the laws prescribed by Him, humans would literally behave like animals and chaos would prevail. Those who follow Allah’s commands and those who don’t cannot be equal.“

“But now if I’m skeptical about the Qur’an for example, does that make me a non-believer, even if I believe in God?” Omar asked.

“I’ll answer your question with another question. Do you think if you had seen the sea part for Prophet Moses , or had witnessed Prophet Jesus raise the dead and cure the sick, and denied those miracles saying ‘nah, I don’t buy it. This must be magic or an illusion’, would that have made you a non-believer?”

“I guess so. Denying miracles is a form of doubt or disbelief.”

“Exactly. And the Qur’an is also a miracle. It has baffled scientists, doctors, historians, nutritionists, philosophers, linguists… you name it! The list goes on,” I explained. “Except you can’t take the miracle in slices; say you believe some verses and deny others. If you think about it, belief in the Qur’an strengthens your faith.”

“How?” Omar asked with genuine curiosity.

“You see when you stop your car at a red light, you do so because you fear punishment. It’s more of an obligation. But when you stop your car to help someone in need, that’s a humane action of the heart. Exactly like our religion. It becomes a hollow shell if we just mindlessly perform all our rituals like praying, fasting and reading Qur’an in a hurry. But when you ponder on Allah’s words and follow His rules out of love, that’s the true meaning of humanity. You can memorize every word and carry all the knowledge in your head, but what really matters is the belief and knowledge in your heart….”

“You sound like Zoe. We were having a similar discussion in the car, one that ended badly. Very, very badly…”

“I’m sick of hearing this Zoe! You don’t need to be religious to be a good person,” Omar said, fiddling with his annoying seat-belt.

“I say it because I love you. Just try to open your heart. I know you’ll eventually find your way back to God,” she said softly.

“That is so obnoxious. It’s like me saying ‘I hope you’ll eventually find your way away from God!” How would that make you feel?” Omar complained.

“It’s okay if you have doubts,” Zahra explained. “As long as you believe there is One God and He’s the only Judge.”

“If God has a problem with me not believing in Him then He should take it up with me, man to man. Right here, right now!” Omar boasted.

“I don’t know if I can ever forgive myself for what happened next. How did I challenge the Lord? What was I thinking?” Omar wept. “I didn’t mean what I said. I wanted to take it all back the second the words came out of my mouth, especially when Zoe gasped in horror and went completely pale. At that moment, even though she wasn’t dead, I saw the life leave slowly her beautiful eyes…”

Omar left with a broken heart, but perhaps that’s what also opened his heart for the light of faith to come through. Sometimes the worst heartaches are just blessings in disguise.

“Everyone is blaming Omar for the accident,” Aisha, my next patient said, tensing her shoulders and refusing to make eye contact with me. “The truth is, it wasn’t his fault at all. It was mine..”

To be continued…

What has made you firmly believe in the Qur’an? Share with us in the comments!

Lilly S. Mohsen is the author of 'Live Your Story' and 'The Prophets To Islam' Series for children. Lilly is a part-time therapist and a spiritual speaker. She’s currently pursuing another Diploma in Islamic Psychology and is a contributing writer to a number of educational and Inspirational blogs. For more about Lilly, check out her blog: Notes From The Heart Follow her on Twitter @Lillymohsen and on Instagram @lillymohsen

Assalamu alaykum wr wb sis,
I seldom comment but I REALLY and genuinely love your work. May Allah bless you multifold.
I’m just trying to understand why the episodes aren’t related and rather incomplete. (Sorry, I’m reading this series for the first time). I mean, I thought Ep2 would be a succession of Ep1 and so on.. but looks like the characters and stories are different,
Will they have a continuation?

I’m very touched you chose to comment on one of my articles. Getting positive feedback from readers really means the world to writers. Thank you so much Amatullah

So yes, the episodes seem unrelated and cut short, but you’ll soon see the story coming together
Each episode is a snapshot of what happens inside the therapist’s office, from inner feelings to flashbacks, adding yet another piece to the puzzle
I really hope you’ll continue reading till the end and you’ll enjoy it more and more with each episode.

How can you say that Without the laws prescribed by Him, humans would literally behave like animals and chaos would prevail? We are born on fitra, sometime we get little messy but we are not animals! I don’t want to judge here, please clarify.

Uh oh 😬
I think this requires a clarification indeed. Thank you for giving me the chance to do so JJ
Of course we are not animals, but there were many incidents in history that proved many people can “behave” like ones.
There’s this movie (I don’t remember the name) when the police decided no one would be punished for 24 hours. It showed a prediction of what could happen; theft, rape, murders, rave parties, vandalism…etc
We are born on Fitra, and it stays with us in childhood, this is why babies are so cute. And then we go out to the real world and it’s somehow buried under our experiences and perspectives.
Allah put rules to protect us from ourselves.
Would you visit a country knowing its people (born on Fitra) have no laws, order, police or justice system? Would you feel safe?

Beautiful answer dear sister, and beautiful, interesting and very usefull articles. I have enjoyed both seasons. I truly love the way you write. MashaAllah. May Allah swt inspire you for many more seasons. Amen. :)

Qur’an is the opener of the heart, but we can only taste its sweetness nd see the miracle if we really ponder upon it and reflect with an open heart and gratitude. May Allah grant us the ability to firm our Iman in our heart! Jzakallah khairan

Every time I read the Qur’an, there are messages that always hit me at the right place. Feels like the book is talking to me and for some reason I can relate it in my life. I totally believe that Qur’an is the guidance for the lost souls out there.

I like how all the characters are intertwined together. You write how I feel, even if I can’t express it.
The only thing I wanted to comment on is the word ‘frickin’ I don’t find that word appropriate for this website.

Andrea I have a very embrassing confession to make 🙈
Up until two minutes ago, I thought the word frickin meant “freaking” or “freaky” in slang
I googled it after reading your comment and gasped.
I asked my lovely editors to remove it (they didn’t know either)
Thank you so much for your comment and your honesty
And if anyone asks, I’ll be hiding in the closet till the end of the week loool

I am so impressed with this article series and the stories are so relatable and applicable. I did read season one and was absolutely hooked and left cliff hanging with each week’s article and now again I find myself in the same intrigued state to know how these stories progress and develop into an unexpected and breathtaking endings. I hope many more seasons will be written as I look forward to reading these stories. Not to mention that they are certainly excellent and very beneficial reminders! I’ve indeed benefited much alhamdulilah. Thank you very much. May Allah bless you and grant you much happiness and success in this world and the next. Ameen.

Asalam alaikum sis,
Words cannot express how I felt when I saw this season 2. I followed season 1 and totally fell in love. I absolutely loved the individual stories and how they all tied up in the end. Thanks for giving me this opportunity to think deeply about my faith and recommit myself to the deen.
Love you for the sake of Allah and may He reward you with good, ameen.

Well, first of all, I believe Quran because there are a lot of people agreeing its truth in spite of their ignorance to this book. After times, I feel that this book speaks to me. Not a single book in existence had ever done it to me.

It’s like you have tasted all kind of foods and then find a home dish but tastes like master chef’s.

It’s ingenious yet simple and casual.

A fine story telling I think. May Allah give you and family best rewards.

السلام عليكم ورحمة الله وبركاته I have read season 1 of yours, and I was so excited when I saw season 2 published.. and so here I am reading it alhumdulilah, and enjoying everything about it, just one question.. are these characters real?

و عليكم السلام و رحمه الله و بركاته
I thought someone might ask this question looool
Well, Omar is a real character (name changed of course) and the rest of them are inspired from real life stories I hear everyday “inside the therapist’s office” loool

Whoa easy there Rukaiyatu
Allah knows our intentions, and knows we need to speak to different people in ways they understand
I love when my readers correct me, and if you’ve read my past articles, you’ll see I have absolutely no problem apologizing because I’m human and I’m flawed
But in this specific case, I’m not sure where I went wrong, when I used the same words our beloved prophet used when he asked one of the sahabas “why are you angry with Allah?”
Here’s the link (I’m sure you wanna double check that for yourself)

I’ve been so busy with uni that I pretty much didn’t have time for anything else :( finally got a chance to read episodes 2 and 3 and then I saw it… my name in your article!!! Sis, I was literally hyperventilating and jumping up for joy. I couldn’t have asked for a better surprise! definitely made my week :))

to answer the question, it’s this quote right here from your article that gets me pondering… “It (our religion) becomes a hollow shell if we just mindlessly perform all our rituals like praying, fasting and reading Qur’an in a hurry. But when you ponder on Allah’s words and follow His rules out of love, that’s the true meaning of humanity.”
in my struggle in trying to manage my time I’ve come to realise that I don’t set aside enough time for my religion. now I see that I don’t just need to sit down and read the Quran, I have to make time to LEARN the Quran to become a better muslim.

it’s just amazing. every article of yours that I read just inspires me to become a better muslim. jazakillahu khairan for the inspiration:))

You’re so cute Zahrah… so sweet and genuine
I have a number of beautiful Zahrahs amongst my lovely readers and I wanted to dedicate this story to them
(All the names I used are actually from my comments page loool)
I wish there was a way for me to show how much I love and appreciate the support, praise and encouragement I get from all of you.
May you always be inspired sweet heart and always strive to be better
All my love

Assalam alaykum warahmatullah wabarakatuh
Mashaa Allah sister May Allah reward you for your endevours of benefiting this ummah with knowledge .
I simply fell in love with these episodes and your geniune knowledge on the applications of the pillars of islam May Allah increase us in beficial knowlegde Amin

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